This difference in 1995 reached worrying proportions when just five Australian trotters accepted for the Christchurch Inter Dominion, and one of these was only flying the Aussie flag because its Kiwi owner-trainer had been earlier declared to old to drive in competition in New Zealand and had "migrated" with his horse to campaign in Victoria. This lack of depth was compounded ever further when connections of the nation’s most promising squaregaiter, the Graeme Lang trained Wagon Apollo, bypassed a trip to New Zealand believing it was in his horse’s best interests to allow him more time to mature before taking on that country’s best.

Three of Australia’s five representatives had been bred in New Zealand, with Lenin being no stranger to Inter Dominions. Back in 1991 in Auckland he had finished 11^th in the Final. The following year he failed to make it through to the Final in Melbourne, but back in Auckland in 1993 he finished a credible third, then was sixth behind Diamond Field in Sydney in 1994. Now rising 10, Lenin had won 36 of his 87 lifetime starts, but along the road to achieving this fine record, some of his earlier brilliance appeared to have taken a turn down a sidetrack when matched against the very top performers at this gait. However, he still looked the pick of the five in the Aussie contingent.

Knight Pistol was a 7YO gelded son of The Contender, the Albatross horse that had once tried unsuccessfully in setting a new world record time trialling as a pacer and trotter on the same day. Knight Pistol went to Christchurch with a record of 14 wins from 60 starts. Telern Reb possessed a similar record having won 12 of its 69 starts. The remaining two trotters were both products of New Zealand. Walt’s Task NZ had been an erratic trotter in its first three seasons of racing when winning 5 of 55 starts before being sold to Sydney where it had won a further five of 34 starts. Bunty’s Pride NZ at five was the youngest of the visiting horses. He had won eight of just 28 starts prior to veteran owner-trainer Alan Dunsmuir moving to Victoria where the stallion had won two of a further 15 starts. Of Australia’s top trotters, only Bunty’s Pride NZ could be looked upon as a genuine improver with the best yet to come.

Australia’s appreciation of the present strength of New Zealand trotting had been clearly demonstrated in the most positive way the previous summer when the Kiwi David Moss NZ had come across the Tasman to contest our feature trots, winning three of his four starts so impressively that he was voted "Trotter Of The Year". Despite having then been a ten year old, he had stood out so much above his Aussie opponents in every way that he had seemed awesome.

Yet, his record in New Zealand had not been so dominating until then, having won 17 of 52 starts, and four of his seven starts leading up to the Inter Dominion. Though foaled way back in October of 1983, David Moss NZ had not made his racing debut until the 1989/90 season, winning two of just four starts. When he won nine of his next 22 outings, he was rated a top chance in the 1991 Auckland Inter Dominion but could only manage ninth in the Final when he appeared a little sore.

The following season David Moss NZ raced six times for just one third, but in 1992/93 his career picked up again, winning two of New Zealand’s major trots and campaigning successfully in Australia. Connections then elected to give the Sydney Inter Dominion a miss fearing the huge son of Gekoj would not handle the tight turns at Harold Park. The Christchurch Inter was always their long term goal. But there were other smart trotters that would keep the now 11 year old honest; as such was the depth of the trotting gait in New Zealand.

Several of these were members of the powerful Purdon stable at Auckland, which had won the 1993 Inter Dominion Championship at Alexandra Park with Night Allowance. This lightly raced trotter had broken a pedal bone and had been off the scene for many months. The Purdons demonstrated the depth to their team by winning the Sydney Inter Dominion Final with Diamond Field NZ, and had returned to Australia to campaign Diamond Field NZ and the smart trotting mare Pride Of Petite USA in Melbourne’s major trotting features as a warm up to the Christchurch Carnival. When Night Allowance aggravated its old injury after four starts of its campaign towards Christchurch, the horse was scratched on the eve of the Carnival leaving the Purdons with the mares Breton Abbe NZ and Pride Of Petite USA, along with the defending Champion Diamond Field NZ.

Another major fancy for the trotting title was the local Call Me Now NZ, a winner of five of his seven starts leading up to the Carnival, including a good win over David Moss NZ in the prestigious National Free For All at Addington in November. Trained by part owner Paul Nairn, the horse was usually driven by Nairn’s cousin David Butt, the brother of Anthony, driver of Blossom Lady NZ. Unsoundness had restricted racing opportunities for this 7 year old son of Roydon Boy, having appeared only two in each of his first two seasons of racing. He would go into the Championship having won 13 of his 25 lifetime starts.

When the Series resumed four nights later, David Moss NZ was favoured drawing the pole in the first of these heats. Maurice McKendry had the big horse well placed throughout, putting the issue beyond doubt a long way from home. Diamond Field NZ turned in his usual honest effort to be second, with outsider Alias Beau NZ third. Bunty’s Pride NZ was an improving fourth, but Telern Reb and Knight Pistol were both home late.

Heat 3 - 2000m: David Moss NZ (Maurice McKendry) 1, Diamond Field NZ (Tony Herlihy) 2, Alias Beau NZ (Anthony Butt) 3. MR: 2:02.3

Chiola Cola NZ had not enjoyed much luck on a brief Melbourne campaign some weeks earlier, so it seems he was out to make amends by beating Call Me Now NZ for the major end of the prize in the following and final heat, with Pride Of Petite USA third. The winner had been driven by local horseman Peter Jones, the son of Derek Jones a New Zealand living legend. This meant Peter was also an uncle of Anthony and David Butt. In his effort to stand on his own feet, Peter Jones will be remembered for having guided Tussle to win the previous Inter Dominion Trotting Championship Final at Addington in 1987.

Walt’s Task NZ had been far from disgraced finishing fourth, with Lenin having to settle for seventh. The Australian trotters had failed to run a place in any of the four heats, thus confirming the expectations of many.

Heat 4 - 2000m: Chiola Cola NZ (Peter Jones) 1, Call Me Now NZ (David Butt) 2, Pride Of Petite USA (Mark Purdon) 3. MR: 2:00.7

Walt’s Task NZ and Bunty’s Pride NZ had made it into the Grand Final for Australia, though both were quoted at long odds up against David Moss NZ. The big fellow was going for his fifth successive victory. The only horses standing between him and victory were the consistent Pride Of Petite USA, Call Me Now NZ and Chiola Cola NZ.

Even when drawing an awkward barrier - inside the second row - most still viewed David Moss NZ as being the best of good things. What made this barrier even more interesting was that the shrewd Tony Herlihy had drawn right next to him with Diamond Field NZ. Maurice McKendry and Herlihy might have been friends back home in Auckland, but with so much at stake, the draw just might makes things interesting in any early battle of tactics between New Zealand’s two leading reinsmen.

And to give all drivers something extra to consider, heavy rain swept in from the Canterbury Plains to lash Addington Raceway before the race, leaving the surface a little slushy. Horses likely to benefit from the "soft" conditions were those that would jar up racing on hard tracks - such as the local, Call Me Now NZ.

Maurice McKendry knew at the bell lap that David Moss NZ was not trotting as smoothly as the big horse had in his two heat wins and, as luck or good driving would have it, David Butt picked that very moment to dash Call Me Now NZ around the field and go to the front. Relishing the conditions, Call Me Now NZ trotted strongly to the line to beat Pride Of Petite USA and her stablemate Diamond Field NZ. The favourite came in fourth, with the two trotters from Australia at the rear.

It was the biggest win by far in the career of trainer Paul Nairn, coming at a time when he was putting the polish on another young trotter who must might become a contender in future Inter Dominions. This is the classy Above The Stars NZ, which set five national records during his three year old season in New Zealand and would later in the season be unbeaten campaigning in the classics in Australia.